BleepingComputer.com: For anybody still using AVG Free 7.5: What's the new prog. update for?

I'm very surprised to find that AVG has a new program update for AVG 7.5 A/V Free. And I'm a little suspicious as to why they'd offer this when they're trying to get everyone to update to 8.0 (especially since they've supplied constantly changing end dates, etc. -- the last of which was 8/31/08). Any ideas as to what this update is for and why it exists?

I'm still using 7.5 Free (haven't had time to update to 8.0), but am hesitant to install this new program update. Is it actually for 7.5 or a sneaky way to upgrade you to 8.0 (which would be bad, because you need to uninstall 7.5 and install 8.0).

Any thoughts? Info below:

Recommended Update:
AVG Free Control Center (version: 545)
AVG Free User Interface (version: 549)
AVG Free Edition Virus Vault (version: 548)
AVG Free Edition Test Center (version: 548)
AVG Free kernel (version: 542)
Localisation English (version: 549)
Update component (version: 541)

Optional Update:
Same as above plus:
AVG Free help English (version: 548)
Setup component (version: 533)

Thanks!

I still have it, and I've done that update a few days ago. It's not 8.0. Works fine. Only thing I noticed, is it now asks to restart the computer more often after a defintion update.

Galadriel, on Oct 17 2008, 12:11 PM, said:

Weird. I've never had to restart my computer after any updates with AVG Free 7.5, program or definition, that I can remember.

How often are you getting asked to restart after a definition update exactly?

Thanks!

bloomcounty, on Oct 17 2008, 02:38 PM, said:

I've never had to restart the computer before. It just started about a week or so ago... when that program update showed up. It's not every day that I get asked, but it happened again this morning, and yesterday. It's inconsistent, can't quite understand why sometimes it wants a restart, sometimes not.
I'd understand if there was more than just a definition update, but yesterday, that's what it was...

Interesting...

Does anybody have any idea *what* the program updates were for? I see no listing on AVG's site saying what the updates/improvements are to 7.5 Free with this updates.

???

I think I'm going to avoid installing this recommended update. Here's why:

http://freeforum.avg.com/read.php?1,148380...1,backpage=,sv=

...unless someone here things that there is some vital virus catching stuff in the program update...?

Can you check your log and see if you're getting that error mentioned in the thread above? Thanks!

It is my understanding that support ends for 7.5 at the end of the year anyway.
Tried 8 and hated it. Will be going to something different by then.

HitSquad, on Oct 20 2008, 08:07 AM, said:

Did you do the update I have listed above?

If so, are you getting asked to restart your computer after virus definition updates?

If you could post back about that, that would be great! Thanks!

Hi bloomcounty
Just did the three (all) updates that were available per your request, in order from top to bottom. No reboot required.

HitSquad, on Oct 20 2008, 09:03 AM, said:

Thanks!

What OS do you have? I have XP, as does Galadriel (who is having the rebooting after virus definition updates issue) -- ruby1 has Win98se (and had no issue with needing to reboot after virus definition updates), and that person on the AVG Forum had Windows 2000 (and was having the issue after the program update).

Do you mind posting back after the next time you do a virus definition update on its own, now that your program is updated? (I guess that'll probably be later today or tomorrow, as they come out pretty often, right?) And let me know if you were asked to reboot? Is that cool by you?

I *think* that update has to do with all versions of AVG finding false-positives in ZoneAlarm (I use ZA Free 6.1.x) and basically destroying ZA. (However, I have not had this happen on my computer even though I haven't done that AVG 7.5 Free program update yet.)

Thanks again!

Quote

XP SP2

Quote

Just did a def update a couple minutes ago. Same thing, no reboot required.

Two suggestions to try from AVG forums:

Quote

Quote

Take a look at the zone alarm issue here.
It was last edited 10-18-08.
In the AVG test center window, program update 7.5.549 is current.
In the Program Files\Grisoft\AVG7 folder, AVGINET.EXE is currently .ver 7.5.0.541.
Both these are as they should be according to that article on this particular system updated just a few minutes ago.
I don't know about the "false positive" thing but according to Grisoft, you only need reset ZA. Anytime AVGINET.EXE is updated to a newer version, my firewall always prompts me automaticaly for permission when updating, like it's supposed to. Why it's affecting ZA, I have no clue. I threw ZA out the window years ago because of it's many conflicts with other apps.
Anyway, I suspect the reboot issues "may" be do to the update not completeing. Trying the above suggestions may work.
I'd also check the program update version and file versions as comfirmation. If it still continues, it wouldn't surprise me at all if ZA is at the root. Uninstalling it before updating AVG, just to see, would confirm it.

HitSquad, on Oct 21 2008, 05:17 AM, said:

Thanks for that! It doesn't actually say it's for the ZA issue, just what you need to do if you have ZA (which has always been the case, and I've always just done that -- allow the new version of AVG 7.5 access -- and never had any issue). Interesting that they've yet to actually list what the update includes... I may wait a few more days before doing that AVG 7.5 Update to see if they add what those updates are actually for.

Just to be clear, I haven't done that AVG update yet, so I'm not having the reboot issue. Someone on the AVG forum was having it, and so is Galadriel here on our forum. But Galadriel does not have ZA, so I'm guessing that's not the reason. Perhaps those two are just isolated incidents (since you have XP SP2 and do not have the issue). I've got XP SP2 as well, so it sounds "safe" from what you've posted...

I'll give it until the weekend to see if they post what the update was for (just for curiosities sake) then probably just go ahead and do it. I'm just paranoid that this newest program update (which really seems odd that they'd have one, doesn't it?) is something like to make 7.5 stop working after a certain date or something that like to force the update to 8.0. But, like I said, maybe I'm just being paranoid...

If you run into anything in the meantime (or have any further thoughts), definitely post back! Thanks again!

Sorry for not following up on this, I've been quite busy. I still get the reboot required after defs updates. I tried to follow the steps in the faq, deleting the temp update files, restarting and reupdating, but no go. I don't see the log mentioned in that topic, maybe I'm just not looking in the right place though. Far as I know, everything works as it should, but I have to restart almost for every update. No biggie, I was gonna switch anyway after a while. I've just been too busy to get on that now.

I don't have ZA indeed, so that's definitely not the cause. No idea what caused it, but if I uninstall AVG, I am not reinstalling it. I can live with this minor annoyance for a while.